Name: Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 lbs Chicken wings (pierce chicken wings with a fork if they’re big and thick to avoid getting salmonella); ¼ cup cornstarch; Salt & pepper; 2 Tbsp. Gochujang (Korean chili paste); 1 Tbsp. Gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes); 1 Tbsp. soy sauce; 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce; 2 Tbsp. mirin; 2 Tbsp. sugar; 2 tsp. minced garlic; 1 tsp. minced ginger; 3 Tbsp. neutral-tasting oil; ¼ cup water; Green onion (thinly sliced, to garnish); Sesame seeds (to garnish)

Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 591kcal

Ingredients

4 lbs Chicken wings pierce chicken wings with a fork if they’re big and thick to avoid getting salmonella
¼ cup cornstarch
Salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. Gochujang Korean chili paste
1 Tbsp. Gochugaru Korean chili pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
3 Tbsp. neutral-tasting oil
¼ cup water
Green onion thinly sliced, to garnish
Sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

Prepare the aromatics. Thinly slice the green onion, and separate the white and green parts. Finely mince or grate the ginger and garlic.
In a small bowl, add gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, water, and some freshly ground pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
Use a knife to make small slits in the chicken wings. Pat them dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly coat them in the cornstarch.
Make gochujang chicken wings. In a large pan or skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken wings and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once they’re cooked through, remove them from the pan, but leave the oil, and set them aside.
In the same pan, add garlic, ginger, and the white part of the green onion. Sauté for about 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil over high heat.
When the sauce boils, add the chicken wings and toss them together until the wings are evenly coated and the sauce has thickened. Transfer them to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Dig in!

Nutrition

Spicy Korean chicken wings with caramelized gochujang sauce are going to be your new obsession. These spicy wings are a refreshing alternative to buffalo wings or fried chicken wings. They’re also healthier because there’s no deep-frying and chili has loads of health benefits.

Why You’ll Love These Spicy Korean Gochujang Wings

Gochujang is one of the most flavorful chili pastes you’ll ever try (if not the most flavorful). And it pairs perfectly with chicken wings. These wings are sweet, savory, umami, salty, a little tart, and not too spicy.

These are the best chicken wings you’ll ever have. They’re tender, yet crisp, and coated in the most amazing caramelized gochujang sauce. Gochujang is already an incredible condiment, but caramelizing it makes it 10x better.

Our gochujang wings recipe is super easy to make and only takes 15 minutes! You only need one pan and you don’t even need to marinate the chicken. Pretty dope, right?

Maybe you’re wondering, is gochujang sauce healthy? Yes, it is! The active component in chili peppers, capsaicin, plays an important role in increasing metabolism so that you burn more calories. Capsaicin also helps digestive issues thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

What Are The Ingredients For Gochujang Korean Chicken Wings?

Get some fresh chicken wings from farm raised chickens for the best flavor (and healthiest poultry). For this recipe, you’ll need:

For the chicken:

4 lbs Chicken wings (washed, pierced, and pat dry)
¼ cup cornstarch
Salt & pepper
3 Tbsp. neutral-tasting oil

For the gochujang sauce:

2 Tbsp. Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 Tbsp. Gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. Mirin (or another cooking wine)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
¼ cup water

To garnish:

Green onion, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds

How To Make Spicy Korean Wings With Gochujang

Step 1: Prepare the aromatics

Thinly slice the green onion, and separate the white and green parts. The white parts will be for cooking and the green parts for garnish.

Finely mince or grate the ginger and garlic.

Step 2: Make the sauce

In a small bowl, add gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, water, and some freshly ground pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the chicken wings

Use a knife to make small slits in the chicken wings. This helps the chicken cook through so that you can avoid getting salmonella.

Step 4: Evenly coat the chicken with cornstarch

Evenly coat them in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess.

Step 5: Dry chicken with paper towels

Pat the poultry dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.

Step 6: Make gochujang chicken wings

In a large pan or skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken wings and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once they’re cooked through, remove them from the pan, but leave the oil, and set them aside.

Step 7: Add aromatic ingredients in the same pan

In the same pan, add garlic, ginger, and the white part of the green onion. Sauté for about 1 minute to release their fragrance.

Step 8: Pour the gochujang sauce

Pour in the gochujang sauce and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Step 9: Combine the thickened sauce with the chicken wings

When the sauce boils, add the chicken wings and toss them together until the wings are evenly coated and the sauce has thickened.

Step 10: Enjoy your Spicy Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings

Transfer them to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Dig in!

Notes & Variations

To make milder Korean chicken wings, omit the gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). The gochujang itself isn’t that spicy, but those chili flakes level it up. If you’re looking for a wings recipe for those who can’t handle the heat, check out our Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.
Make sure you slit the chicken wings before cooking them. This ensures they cook properly and you’ll save yourself a trip to the hospital.
Store any leftover chicken wings in the refrigerator in an airtight container for no more than 4 days. You can also stow them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or on a pan until sizzling.
If you don’t have fresh green onions, ginger, or garlic, that’s okay. The gochujang takes care of most of the flavor, so you can sub powdered garlic and ginger, or even omit the aromatics. They do add beautiful depths of flavor though, so use them if you can.
Unfortunately, gochujang paste isn’t gluten-free so you can’t make this recipe without gluten. You can try a variation with just the gochugaru flakes and more gluten-free soy sauce and oyster sauce or tamarind.

What To Eat With Gochujang Wings?

Serve these spicy boys for the super bowl, game night, or a special dinner. Spicy Korean chicken wings pair well with an ice-cold beer to soothe the burn. I’d go for a pale ale or an IPA to mask the heat with its bitterness and sourness.

Is Korean Gochujang Sauce Spicy?

Gochujang is a thick, fermented condiment that’s spicy, sweet, and rich in umami. It’s not as spicy as tabasco or habanero, but it’s hotter than Sriracha.

This recipe makes spicy wings, but they’re not overbearingly hot. You can still appreciate all the flavors of the chicken and caramelized sauce.

What Is Korean Gochujang Sauce Made Of?

Gochujang is a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking. It’s made of red chili pepper flakes, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and some spices. This chili paste is a gorgeous crimson color and is surely one of my all-time favorite condiments.